Hanger structure



March 11, 1969 c. STEPHENS 3,431,693

HANGER STRUCTURE Filed Dec. 8, 1966 United States Patent 3,431,693 HANGER STRUCTURE Roger C. Stephens, Hamburg, N.Y., assignor to Dresser Industries, Inc., Dallas, Tex., a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 8, 1966, Ser. No. 600,129 U.S. Cl. 52485 2 Claims Int. Cl. E06b 3/64; E04b 5/52 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The disclosure concerns use of a hanger element made of a single length of wire rod bent to form a support for refractory anchors.

This invention relates to overhead suspended furnace roofs and, more particularly, to roofs of furnaces of the soaking pit type. The invention is likewise applicable to the construction of arches or inclined walls wherein refractory shapes are suspended from some manner of steel reinforcing structure.

It has been common to fabricate such as soaking pit roofs and the like of a plurality of refractory brick, which brick are supported from contiguously overlying support structure. It is not unusual for each brick in the roof to have separate support mechanism associated therewith. It is also common to use spaced, preformed refractory anchors to support monoliths which are rammed, gunned, or cast into place.

In any event, the hanger structure for the brick which are suspended has long been the subject of experimentation and improvisation. Since the hanger structure is usually of metal, it is susceptible to deformation and/or destruction by heat. Some support structures, such as that shown in U.S. Patent No. 3,132,477, when in the form of castings, are not as thermal shock resistant as desired. In some' instances, when the support structure is too close to the upper brick face, there is deformation thereof. In addition, when repairing or patching a roof it may be necessary to cut supporting beams in order to place the hanger structure in place. In addition, when a furnace campaign is well advanced, the superstructure (usually consisting of a plurality of heavy steel beams) can be warped. Such a condition further complicates patching with conventional hanger structure. It is not unusual to have undersize and oversize hanger beams, further complicating the problem of finding a universally acceptable hanger structure for a given roof.

Most hanger structure includes means to either wedgeup or wedge-down a brick to tighten the brick in place, depending on whether the refractory will ultimately be in tension or compression.

Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide a simplified hanger structure which is more readily usable than most of those prior arrangements of which I am aware, and which overcomes all of the disadvantages or problems outlined above. A plurality of substantially identical hanger elements according to my invention can be used in a given roof without regard to slightly oversized or undersized support members or beams or warped parts thereof. In addition, the hanger structure of this invention is readily adaptable to, in combination with the refractory, allow wedging up or down. The structure facilitates repair patching without cutting of a support beam or the like. In addition, it is an object to provide hanger structure which, but its nature, assists in dissipating heat.

Briefly, according to one aspect of the invention, there is provided hanger structure for suspended anchor brick comprising a unitary rod, the ends of which are joined by welding. The rod is shaped to span the top of a sup- 3,431,693 Patented Mar. 11, 1969 port beam and includes downwardly-extending leg portions arranged to cooperate with spaced parallel grooves in the top of an anchor brick or the like. A better understanding of the invention is believed had by a study of the following detailed description, together with reference to the appended exemplary drawings. In these drawings:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary schematic perspective view of a portion of a monolithic roof structure indicating a manner of usage of hangers according to this invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the arrangement of FIG. 1, better showing the cooperation between an anchor element, hanger structure, and a supporting beam;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation with a portion broken away of an arrangement such as shown in FIG. 2 using a modified anchor form. Comparable reference numerals are used in FIG. 3, but an A is added to indicate it is a modification; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the novel support element of the invention.

Referring now to FIG. 1, in the fabrication of a monolithic refractory roof or wall there is usually a plurality of longitudinal and crossbeams 15 and 16, which together cooperate to form structure which ultimately supports the weight of the roof. The longitudinal beams 16 in FIG. 1 support, by means of a plurality of novel elements 17 according to this invention, a plurality of anchor elements 18. The anchor elements 18 are embedded in a monolithic mass of refractory 19, which the anchors 18 hold in place. The monolith and anchors can be of any compatible, conventional, refractory substance. In a preferred embodiment, the anchors are ceramically bonded brick of the type disclosed and claimed in U.S. Patent No. 3,067,050, Example Q in Table IV. The monolith can be of the same composition but installed as a plastic.

The anchors of FIG. 1 are of a conventional type; and as shown in FIG. 2, may be described as generally of square configuration with opposed parallel faces having protuberances 30 and 31 extending across the respective faces, between which protuberances are substantially equispaced valleys 32 and 33.

Referring now to FIG. 3, it can be seen that the novel hanger structure 17 in cross-section includes a web portion 40, downwardlybut outwardly-diverging arms 41 and 42 which terminate through an obtuse angle in inwardly-bent toes 43 and 44. These toes seat against undersurfaces of the protuberances 30A, whereby the anchors 18 are supported. The element 17 is formed of a single length of good quality steel rod, which is welded at 45.

Depending on whether one wishes to wedge-up or wedge-down the brick, wedge pieces can be driven in the space 46 or between the upper part of the I-beam 16 and the bottom of the web 40.

With the foregoing arrangement, it can be seen that the anchor elements 17 can be easily positioned without c tting or otherwise changing the structure of the support beams; and because it is a rod, the web 40 can be of variable lengths and can be used with undersized and oversized beams without regard to whether or not the beams are warped. Just as easily as the elements 17 are positioned over the beam, anchors such as 18 having spaced parallel grooves adjacent the upper cold end thereof, which grooves extend entirely across the respective faces in which they space 46 or between the upper part of the I-beam 16 and above the fingers 33 and 34.

FIG. 4 (a preferred construction of approximately scale dimensions) shows the hanger elements 17 to include a pair of each of the webs outwardly-diverging arms and inwardly-extending respective opposed fingers interconnected by stringer sections 46 and 47. The web 40 and its parallel symmetrically disposed mirror image 40A provide the sole bearing surface for the hanger member and its eventually associated anchor. I have also indicated mirror image parts 41A, 42A, 43A, and 44A, which together with the webs and the stringers make up the overall structure of the hanger element of thepresent invention.

Since the foregoing hanger element is made of a good quality steel alloy rod, it is much more shock-resistant than cast support elements. The anchor element which is interconnected with the support element or hanger has the bearing surfaces spaced as far away as possible in the coolest location, since it bears against the top of such as I- beam 16, which is furthest awa from the refractory.

Another desirable aspect is that the weld or welds which hold together and make unitary the hanger structure 17 can be located in the coolest area spaced furthest away from the roof. In addition, the very nature of my hanger element 17, being as it is constructed of a length of good quality steel alloy (for example, 302 Stainless Steel), is particularly adapted to dissipating any heat which it may pick up from the associated anchor element.

While in the drawings I have shown a single length of wire rod welded at 45, it should be understood there could be a plurality of short sections welded together or two sections, in which case there would be a weld in the web 40A, etc.

The FIG. 3 arrangement can be considered approximately to scale. In such an arrangement, the stainless steel rod from which the hanger element 17 is fabricated has about a inch diameter. The I-beam 16 is about 3 inches in heighth. The preferred anchor is of the type shown in FIG. 2 in US. Patent No. 3,132,447.

Having thus described the invention in detail and with suflicient particularity as to enable those skilled in the art to practice it, what is desired to have protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the following claims.

I claim:

1. For use in combination with a refractory wall or roof including a plurality of anchor elements and exterior steel supporting beams or the like which extend in parallel arrangement across the exterior of said wall or roof, said anchor elements having a hot end and a cold end, said anchor elements having at least a pair of opposed parallel grooves formed adjacent the cold end thereof, a plurality of hanger elements for supporting said anchors, said hangers each being comprised of unitary rod means in the form of a closed structure, said structure shaped to form a pair of mirror-image sections, each mirror-image section comprised of an upper, substantially flat web from the ends of which extend two outwardly-diverging legs which legs terminate in inwardly-directed feet, respective opposed feet of said two mirror-image sections joined by substantially equidistant stringers, said feet being in the respective opposed grooves adjacent the cold end of said anchor elements and bearing against an upper surface of said grooves, said webs being supported on an upper surface of said support beams thereby supporting said anchors said rod joined only on the upper flat webs.

2. The combination of claim 1 in which said rod means is formed of a single length of metal rod, opposed ends of which are joined.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,161,162 12/1964 Homolya 52-484 3,132,447 5/1964 Hosbein 52-487 FOREIGN PATENTS 899,246 12/1953 Germany.

FRANK L. ABBOTT, Primary Examiner.

S. D. BURKE, Assistant Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 

